


twenty-four-seven, always, closed forever

by grandmas_ghost (nap_princess)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, F/F, F/M, I wrote this fic for me but y'all can read it if you want, Juvia my Queen, Meredy my cinnamon roll, Modern AU, school au, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 20:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14838708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nap_princess/pseuds/grandmas_ghost
Summary: "You don't hide your crushes well. It's pretty obvious. You say it all on your face. Your feelings are always open like a twenty-four-seven convenience store."– LyonMeredyJuviaGray, modern identity crisis high school AU, Lyon and Meredy-centric





	twenty-four-seven, always, closed forever

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bye bye my blue](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/387137) by Yerin Baek. 
  * Inspired by [WILD](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/387143) by Troye Sivan. 



** twenty-four-seven, always, closed forever**

* * *

 나의나의나의그대여  
이름만불러봐도맘이벅차요

– **백예린** , _Bye bye my blue_

...

You make my heart shake, bend and break but I can't turn away and it's driving me wild,  
You're driving me wild.

– **Troye Sivan** , _Wild,_ Blue Neighbourhood trilogy

* * *

* * *

Lyon Bastia has declared himself a certified nobody since freshman year. He's now a junior and things are not getting better. He's got one year to go, no friends and too much free time on his hands. So much so that sometimes, most times, Lyon does his syllabus reading a few weeks before it's due. Can you imagine being so bored to the point that you choose to do homework a week in advance?

He's been feeling miserable about himself for the longest time. Probably started three years ago after his mother started dating Silver Fullbuster before getting married to him this Summer. Now he's got a new dad who's always cracking dad jokes and, a step-sister and step-brother. Urtear's not that bad, she's mostly away at university but Gray is a pain in the ass.

Massive pain.

"Ouch!" A blonde boy says as he bumps into Lyon – hard. "Watch it!"

"Sorry," Lyon says quickly, eyeing the blonde and his friend with green hair.

The blonde boy makes a face before turning back to his friend. "Fucking – " He walks away before Lyon can hear the other half of the sentence.

"Who was that kid?" The blonde boy's green haired friend asks.

"Who cares?" Ugh, how does a jerk like him even have friends? "He's a nobody,"

Lyon shrinks a little. He really is a nobody.

* * *

Gripping onto his backpack straps, Lyon tries to forget his tedious life. He's got Biology first thing in the morning. He strolls into Science lab 707 with the posture of every suffering high school student on a Monday.

Lyon guesses, with his occupation being a student and all, he might as well get good grades. There really isn't anything to do while figuring out his life that's as grey as his hair.

Lyon plops down on a chair somewhere in the middle of the classroom, pulls out his phone and hopes his partner for today is at least reliable.

Five minutes shuffles by fast. And by the time the teacher is clapping his hands and telling everyone to pair up, Lyon finally looks up from his phone. Lyon only has time to blink his dark eyes before the person beside him says something.

"I guess we should start with introductions?" A girl with pink hair says, her face turning to look at Lyon. She sticks out her hand though her face remains expressionless. "I'm Meredy."

The first thing Lyon notices about Meredy is her bubble-gum pink hair. The second is how green her eyes are. The third is how she likes to accessories because her dangly earrings are certainly eye-catching. Lyon recognizes her, he thinks last year she wore earmuffs all year round.

As a student in Fiore High, Meredy's pretty popular. Not very but maybe popular enough to fit in a Team B popular squad. Meredy's popular for two reasons – one, because she's a regular on the swim team and, two, because she has a sharp tongue. Rumours says she's a very driven person too.

"Swim team, right?" Lyon asks as he unzips his pencil case and takes out a fancy fountain pen that's ready to take notes.

Meredy gives him a suspicious eyebrow raise before she nods, hand still waiting to be shaken.

Lyon takes her hand and shakes it lightly. He doesn't want to seem rude but he thinks he might have creeped her out a bit. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah,"

"Let's … get our lab report started?" He tells her, sounding uncertain.

Lyon gets a head bob in return. Meredy doesn't say anything after that. She simply waits for him to say something more that's crucial to their introduction. But he doesn't. She has to wait until the end of class before she grabs him by his sleeve, stopping Lyon from leaving.

"Uh, yes?" Lyon asks.

Meredy's face is still stoney. He notes that it hasn't changed at all throughout the entire period. She finally asks back, "What's your name?"

"Oh, uh –" His face must have been as pink as her hair. He can't believe he completely forgot to introduce himself. But then again, he's used to just being a random face in the crowd. He answers, "Lyon Bastia."

"You're a pretty good lab partner, Lyon. You actually do your work which is good because I aim to maintain my straight As."

Athletic and smart – wow. The rumours weren't just rumours. Meredy really was a driven person.

Meredy says. "Want to partner up again next week?"

"S – Sure."

"Thanks." – It's an oddly polite conversation.

* * *

"Are you in any clubs?" Meredy questions Lyon a week later just because she knows that he knows she's in one and because there's nothing else to talk about while she studies their experiment slowly taking effect. Meredy's eyes shift, watching Lyon spin his pen in his hand.

"Nope," Lyon answers, equally bored. However, he does find talking with Meredy entertaining to a degree. It's not just mindless small talk.

"That's sad."

"Gee, thanks," Lyon replies because he doesn't know how else to reply to such a statement.

"Oh, uh – Sorry about that. I'm still in cockblock mode." Meredy apologises.

"What?"

"Cockblock mode." She repeats. "It's when – It's when I'm the meanest."

"I … I still don't follow." Lyon replies. "Is there an explanation to that?"

Meredy presses her lips together before muttering, "Never mind. It's nothing. Let's just … continue watching our experiment."

Lyon drops his gaze. "Oh, alright then."

...

The unexplained statement should not have stuck to his brain for longer than it should. Even after the end of the school day, Lyon still finds himself thinking.

Why?

Maybe because it involved Meredy and this is the second time she chose to talk to him freely. She really didn't have to. He's already agreed to be her lab partner, he's not going back on his word. But for all she cared, Meredy could have just stuck to topics revolving around Biology, not their personal lives.

To Lyon, it was like she was opening up to him, just a smidge. And he was curious because he wants to know what Meredy means. He wants to understand her. He's not use to conversations starting, much less conversations just ending without any explanation.

He's just – He's just …

Lyon tells himself that he's just bored with his activity-less days. It's not like he has anything else to think of anyways.

* * *

"You want to help me cockblock Bora?" Meredy asks, a little confused.

Lyon nods. It's been about more than a month since they've know each other.

"For Juvia?" Meredy asks again.

And once again, Lyon bobs his head. He's heard Meredy mention her best friend, Juvia Lockser, from time to time.

Lyon remembers a time when he didn't know who Juvia Lockser was, when he didn't even know Juvia existed. Lyon only learned about Juvia's existence after he caught Meredy texting in class when she shouldn't be, reading Juvia's name saved with a heart and rainbow emoji. Juvia's existence only solidified after Lyon saw Meredy smile too widely and wave lively at a blue haired girl before entering the Science lab, and then he got curious and digged into Meredy's life.

"You don't even know her," Meredy points out, suspicious.

Lyon shrugs. "I have a lot of time."

"Don't you have friends to hang out with?"

He blinks at her in return.

Meredy shrinks a little. "Oh, right. You told me you didn't have any friends a few weeks ago. And you're not in any clubs either." She makes patterns on her tights for a minute, thinking before asking, "Why do you want to help me though?"

"It's not like I have anything better to do."

She tilts her head. "You do know you could be doing better things with your life, right?"

Lyon shrugs.

"Are you sure you have time to spare?" Meredy questions him.

"Yeah, I do. And, it's like I said, I've got nothing to do. I'm a little bored." He half-lies. The truth is, he's not just doing this because he's bored. Lyon also wants to get as close to Meredy as possible. Seeing her once a week isn't enough. He might just go mad because –

"How long have we known each other?" Meredy interrupts his train of thoughts, squinting her green eyes.

"I don't know." Lyon lies because he _does_ in fact know how long they've known each other. Because Meredy is arguably the only person in this whole school who chooses to talk to him and Lyon finds himself treasuring and counting down the days he gets to wake up on a Monday to talk to her. He hasn't felt this happy to talk to someone in forever and – oh God, he thinks he might be catching feelings!

Lyon tries to hide the blush on his face by scribbling on his notebook, his fountain pen making zig-zag motions.

"I don't know." He repeats. "Six weeks?"

It's a considerate amount of time for him to fall in love. At least it's not the cliché love at first sight bullshit.

She breathes out a sigh while Lyon sucks one in.

"Well …" Meredy presses her lips together in a thin line. "Well, okay."

Lyon beams at her in return but one raised fingers stops him from smiling all the way.

"But –" Meredy pauses for effect. " – I'll only let you help under one condition."

"Okay, what?"

Meredy's shoulders tense, she snips at him, "You don't even know the condition yet you're already agreeing to it?"

"I'm just saying 'okay' as in 'okay, I'll listen to your demands'." Lyon explains.

Another angry hum rumbles in her throat. She warns him, "The condition is: don't fall in love with Juvia." Her green eyes drilling into his soul, gaze fierce enough to pierce through him. But he's too occupied, staring at the red flakes in her eyes to feel threatened.

Lyon looks at Meredy and thinks, _I don't think I could_.

* * *

Meredy is at first territorial when she introduces Lyon to Juvia. It's obvious that she doesn't want him to fall in love with her best friend. Meredy's eyes are on him the whole time, reading his expression, seeing if Lyon would break his promise but he doesn't. He doesn't break his promise. Meredy relaxes when she notices how Lyon seems to lean more on her rather Juvia.

"It was nice meeting you, Lyon-san." Juvia says cheerily as they sit together at lunch. "She's glad Lyon-san is helping her even though he doesn't know Juvia that well."

"It's fine. It's no big deal." Lyon says, noticing Juvia's third-person speech.

Meredy doesn't say anything and takes a bite out of her sandwich.

"Juvia hopes Lyon-san and Meredy-san do their best. Juvia thinks you two could make a good team." Juvia states.

"Is this Bora guy that much of a nuisance?" Lyon asks.

Juvia's smile remains on her face but her voice drops. "He won't take 'no' for an answer."

 _Ew,_ Lyon thinks the same time Meredy practically slams her juice box on the table. She's annoyed.

Meredy says, "Let's talk about something else."

And they do.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Meredy asks Juvia. It seems like Juvia has recently been constantly late. Meredy knows her best friend's routine and schedule like the back of her hand and she knows Juvia isn't a careless person. Not to the point where Juvia's back to back late to arrive to her locker.

"Sorry," Juvia wheezes, her cheeks pink for all the hard breathing and running. She gives a weak wave to Lyon. He waves back before Juvia catches her breath and tells Meredy, "Juvia got distracted."

"Again?"

Juvia straightens her posture, face now pinker. "It was important." She sputters.

"Ju!" Meredy whines.

"Juvia promises she'll stop. She'll be better next week."

"Next week?" Meredy squawks. Unbelievable.

Juvia waves off Meredy's tantrum and says, "Lyon-san, Juvia's sorry but may Juvia ask to borrow Lyon-san's pen for a second? Juvia needs to write something down quickly."

"Uhh …" Lyon hesitates, hands clutching onto his backpack straps. He's not moving or doing anything to indicate he'll unzip his back and hand Juvia his fountain pen. "I'm sorry, Juvia-chan, but I've only got one pen and it's pretty important to me. I can't lose it."

"Oh," Juvia says. "That's fine. Juvia will just –" She rattles her locker, trying to open it. It's always been a stubborn one. "She needs to get a pen fast, she has to get someone's phone number."

"Why not just save it on your phone?" Meredy asks.

"The battery's dead." Juvia answers as her locker swings open.

"Don't you usually charge it while you sleep?"

"Juvia was busy using it. It was ... important. To Juvia."

"What were you doing that was so important that you couldn't leave it alone while you slept?" Meredy rants like an angry mother.

This time, it's clear that Juvia's face isn't pink from the running. She's blushing bad. "Juvia was just … She fell asleep _Facebook_ stalking someone."

"Ju!"

"Sorry, Meredy-san!" Juvia then shuts the locker with a loud BANG and races down the hall. "Juvia will catch up to you two later!"

Meredy only grumbles and wraps a finger around the thin chain of her dangly earring, distracting her angry. Lyon doesn't know how to add anything to this moment.

* * *

"Are you in any clubs?" Meredy asks, she holds back from adding the word 'yet' to the sentence. Getting updates from Lyon is like asking how far along the flowers in a garden has grown. It's slow and kinda dull. But once the garden's in full bloom, it might just be a sight worth waiting for.

Lyon answers, "No,"

"Do you like anything? Books? Drama? Chess?"

He's hesitant in answering this. "Hockey." Lyon finally says. "But I don't think I'm cut out for it."

"Have you tried it?" Meredy asks. "Like, tried out for the club? Earn a spot on the team or just fill out the club form?"

"A nobody like me won't make it." Lyon tells her, putting a lot of emphasising on 'nobody'.

"If you don't try then you won't know." Meredy says, brushing the comment off. "Just try it. You might make it on the team."

"It won't matter if I do." Lyon replies, a little guarded and irked. He thinks she's got no right to insist on these things. He's not like her. He's not driven. He's boring. "I'll just be cast in the shadows or something, the team won't need me."

"You don't know that!" Meredy doesn't give up.

Ah, right. Lyon forgot what type of person Meredy is. Regardless, he tells her, "Again, I'll just be a nobody."

"What is with you and being a nobody?"

"I've been a nobody since freshman year."

"No one's ever a nobody. They're always a somebody to someone."

And for some reason, these words seemed to have struck something from within Lyon. A wishful part of him says, _You could be a somebody to Meredy. You know she's just your Biology lab partner for now. But, who knows what will happen in the future? Who know? Maybe that'll change?_

Lyon doesn't bother to say anything after that.

* * *

Meredy is his anchor today – no, seriously. Like, literally. She has one hand locked around his arm so that he won't run away from trying out for the Hockey team. She's holding him down and Lyon is sweating buckets because – holy shit dicks, why did he think he could do this?

"I can't do this," Lyon mutters lowly. He doesn't know how but Meredy's somehow convinced Lyon to go through with signing up and trying out for the hockey team.

"Don't chicken out now." Meredy hisses, as fierce as usual. You'd think she'd soften up just to calm the butterflies in his stomach but nope.

"I can't,"

Meredy hisses icily. "Why is that?"

"Because Gray's in it." Lyon remembers saying.

"So? What about him?"

"My step-brother is the main star, remember? Hello, he'll outshine me for sure."

"What? 'Main star'? Who said that? I've never heard such a thing in my entire life! Just because he's on the team and what you claim he is, it doesn't mean he'll outshine you or whatever. Who cares if he's the star? You can bump him down and outshine him." Meredy snips back.

"You seem to hold some grudge against him." Lyon says, feeling his heart race.

"I just think he's a massive prick." Meredy replies then quickly shoos the issue away because today is Lyon's day and Gray can eat dirt for all she care. "But never mind him. He's not important. We're talking about _you_. And what's important for now is that you try something new and you're putting yourself out there. You've got this."

"Do I?"

Meredy gives him the stink eye and promises, "I will punch you if you doubt yourself one more time."

"Where?" Lyon asks, he's been punched before. It's not pleasant but he thinks he can handle it if it means being able to flee out of the ice rink.

"Somewhere the sun doesn't shine." Meredy answers and her eyes flit quickly to his lap before zooming back up to look him in the eye.

Okay, having your dick punched is no joke. Even Lyon won't take that chance.

He swallows a lump in his throat. "Okay," He says. "Okay, I'll go through with it."

Meredy raises her hand high, balled in a fist. She's ready to strike.

"I meant with the try out!" Lyon hisses, catching Meredy's wrist just in time.

"Oh," She says. "Be clearer next time."

Meredy is as brutal as she always is. Lyon questions why he's in love with her.

* * *

"I made it," Lyon says, dumbfounded that he's actually managed to squeeze his way onto the team.

Meredy perks up, looking away from texting Juvia who's late again. "That's great!" She throws in a smile.

"No, this is _not_ great." Lyon panics, dramatic as he always is. "What if they hate me? I don't know anything about teamwork or sportsmanship. I barely ace in social skills. I'll be alienated for sure. Overshadowed. Out-casted."

"Shut up," Meredy snaps, her usual frown back on her face. "Stop freaking yourself out. I know I felt really nervous when I first join the Swim Club but look at me now, everything turned out more than okay. The team, Juvia and I, we're all closely knitted and we're doing just fine."

"That's because you and Juvia-chan are practically one person and share everything." He tells her. But he must have slipped up because Meredy makes a face at the comment. Lyon shrinks a little when Meredy tches at him.

"Not everything," She says.

Lyon stays quiet for a while before asking her, "Will I be a somebody now then?"

"Maybe?" Meredy answers.

"To who?"

Meredy ignores her beeping phone, probably a new text from Juvia. Instead, she clutches onto the device and says, "Me, I guess? Since I forced you to join hockey in the first place."

Lyon is speechless for a moment. He doesn't exactly know what to say though his mind is racing. He should say something before Meredy gets impatient. Because, you know, isn't this what he wanted?

"Okay,"

...

And now he's on the team and not even spotlighted but at least he's a somebody now.

* * *

"Oh my God, it's Bora!" Lyon gasps loudly, drawing attention to the trio. He picks up his backpack and practically smacks Juvia in the face in an attempt to hide her. It draws attention, causing drama instead of avoiding it.

"Ack, Lyon-san! Please, stop!" Juvia pleads then tries to push away the backpack.

"Lyon!" Meredy calls out.

Lyon sheepishly turns pink. "I'm trying."

"Maybe Lyon-san should leave it to Meredy-san." Juvia tells him.

"Lyon, you suck at this. Leave the cock blocking to me." Meredy says.

Loud laughs echoes through the hall, making the three stop in the middle of their conversation to look at the source of the noise. They see two boys wearing Leatherman jackets from the hockey team. For just a couple of boys goofing around, they sure are hella loud about it.

"Ugh," Lyon groans openly.

"Is your step-brother there?" Meredy asks, not even bothering to double check.

"Yup, there's Gray with his friend, Natsu."

Meredy merely rolls her eyes, taking a quick peek, before turning back to her friends. But when Meredy looks back, she notices that Juvia is distracted, her big blue eyes following something.

"Juvia?" Meredy calls and Juvia snaps her gaze away from looking all dream-like.

"Oh, sorry." Juvia apologises, her face beet red but that doesn't stop her from glancing back to the source of her distraction.

"What are you looking at?" Meredy asks and turns her head the same time Juvia whisper-shouts, "Wait, Meredy-san, don't!"

She sees the same two boys. Gray and a pink haired boy beside him.

Meredy's smile lowers to a frown. Oh, maybe it's a 'who' instead of a 'what'. Maybe Bora won't be so much of a problem now.

* * *

"Bora-san is so persistent. It's ..." Juvia waves her hands in the air as if the next word is tainted. "... annoying."

"Super annoying," Meredy agrees.

"Did you try shooting him down again?" Lyon asks Juvia.

Juvia nods and takes a seat at their usual lunch table. "Juvia has many times. She even says 'please' and everything."

"Meredy-chan, why don't you scare him off by threating to beat him up? I've seen you scare off other boys." Lyon says.

"I would but I'm against animal cruelty."

"What?"

"He's a pig." Meredy explains.

"Damn," Lyon says.

Juvia mutters sadly, "What is Juvia supposed to do? She doesn't like Bora-san _that way_." Not at all, actually.

"Maybe you should try to find someone to be your boyfriend?" Lyon suggests jokingly, aiming to lighten up the conversation.

Juvia's eyes sparkle and she claps her hands. Her face has a small tint of blush like she already has someone in mind. "Ooohhh, maybe Juvia should?!"

Meredy glares at Lyon in response and he doesn't even try to hide the fear or the cringe on his face. Meredy tells her best friend, "No way, Ju. That's a bad idea."

But Juvia's eyes don't stop sparkling. "Juvia doesn't know. Maybe love isn't such a bad idea?"

* * *

"I can't find my pen." Lyon sighs, searching through his pencil case for what seemed like the fourth time. Class is about to start and he doesn't want to be that loser who has to ask the person next to him to borrow a chewed up pen.

"Good," Meredy snips meanly. "That's what you get for suggesting telling Juvia to get a boyfriend."

"It was a gift from my dad." Lyon tells her, a dangerous tone behind it.

Meredy doesn't say anything back and Lyon moves seats before class starts. They don't talk for two whole days.

* * *

Juvia's face feels warm and for a moment, she's scared that her whole face is aglow. If Gray notices her red, red face and fidgety hands, he'll catch on for sure. Juvia's positively certain!

"Excuse me, Gray-sama?" She squeaks.

Gray turns away from the blackboard. He looks bored beyond anything. "Yes, uh –" He trails off because he can't remember her name.

"Juvia," She reminds him. They've got each other's numbers saved for goodness sake! "Juvia Lockser,"

"Right. Yes, Juvia?"

"Juvia was um – She wanted to know if –" But Juvia doesn't think she can ask if Gray's single because he doesn't even know her and she's probably overstepping her boundary. "She wanted to know if she could borrow a pen? Hers died out of ink."

"Oh, here. Take it." Gray says then hands her the pen in his hand.

"Take it?" Juvia asks, taken aback

"Yeah, you can have it."

'For me?' Juvia wants to ask but doesn't, because, realistically, she expects at least a crappy spare pen from the dollar store, not this nice fountain pen. Juvia reasons, "But it looks expensive."

"It's not even mine. It's my step-brother's." Gray answers, eyes back to the blackboard.

"Lyon-san's?"

"You know him?" Gray whispers because he doesn't want to be called out by the teacher.

Juvia bobs her head. "Yeah,"

"Then you can give it back to him later then."

"O – Oh. Okay then." Juvia says and the conversation dies just like her pen's ink. But regardless, it's the longest conversation she's ever had with Gray Fullbuster – her now crush.

* * *

"Meredy-san," Juvia says one day while they're out eating ice-cream after swim practice. She still smells like chlorine and shampoo. "Juvia envies you so much."

"What? Why?" Meredy asks, her spoon paused mid-air.

"Meredy-san has a thigh gap and Juvia doesn't."

Meredy frowns, putting her spoon down. "Don't talk like that. You have lovely legs, everyone says so."

"Juvia doesn't think so." Juvia replies. "Juvia thinks – Maybe if she lost a few pounds then Gray-sama will like her? He's so handsome, he won't settle for someone less like Juvia if she doesn't try her best."

Meredy feels the need to tell the blue haired girl, 'Drop his ass, he's not  _that_ great' but she can't. Not really. Juvia's been talking so much about Gray, crushing hard. So Meredy just pushes her sundae away and declares she's not all that hungry.

* * *

Lyon walks down the hall and towards his locker. Today's hockey game had just ended. Fiore High's hockey team had just won against other another school that Lyon doesn't even bother to remember the name of. His skates, gloves, shoulder pads and other hockey gear are stuffed into his duffle bag as he absentmindedly moves to his destination. He still feels sweaty and tired but victory feels pretty sweet right now.

"You done?" A voice asks.

He sees Meredy wearing his Leatherman jacket and he thinks she looks … kinda cute. She is his crush after all – secret crush that is. Not that he'd ever tell her because he 'said' he wanted to help her cockblock Bora and this could ruin their whole dynamic.

"Oh, Meredy-chan. Hi." He pretends to be surprised that she's waiting for him. Lyon doesn't know why he's acting like this. He did ask Meredy and Juvia to meet him at his locker. He just didn't trust the hockey team and had asked Meredy to hold his stuff for him: his jacket and phone, keys and wallet.

Meredy responses, "Hey. So are you done?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm done. I've got all my stuff packed," Lyon answers then asks, "Where's Juvia-chan?"

Meredy only frowns in response. "You didn't see her? She made a beeline to the locker room the second you guys went in to change."

Lyon only makes a face because he knows Juvia's aim. Juvia's apparently head over heels in love with Gray. She's been chasing him for almost six months now and Gray's still dodging her attempts and running away.

"Yeah ..." Meredy trails off after reading his expression. "It'll take a while."

Lyon only scratches his neck in reply and Meredy pushes a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing long swaying earrings.

He's nervous that Meredy will realise his worth. Compared to Gray, he's basically a nobody on the team. Heck, even Juvia and Meredy have a better social status with their athletic swim team duo thing. High school has been a little rough on his side. He's just somebody Meredy picked up and dusted dirt off. In Lyon's eyes, he's just a chore and Meredy's a gift of this earth. Meredy could leave him and hang out with practically anyone in school if she wanted to.

But, no. Here she was, wearing his hoodie and chilling with him because of their weird clumped together third-wheel things while Gray and Juvia are busy playing cat and mouse.

"How did you think the game went?" Lyon asks after a moment of just them leaning against the lockers in silence.

"You won, didn't you?" Meredy replies.

"Yeah, but." Lyon looks at his shoes. "Yeah but I mean about me."

"You were ... You didn't score. You missed."

Lyon kicks invisible dirt on the floor. "Yeah ..."

He misses _a lot_ of things.

Then the pause stretches until it doesn't.

Lyon and Meredy wait a little longer before two people from the hockey team walks their way. Well, technically not their way, just down the hall, but Meredy and Lyon were there first so it's technically _their space._ The two hockey boys are shouting with glee, whooping about pizza and winning as they raced down the hall towards the parking lot. Lyon and Meredy only share a glance before recognising Gray and Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu exchanges a wide smile with Lyon and Meredy's blank faces. The duo don't react.

 _Sheesh, tough crowd_. Natsu thinks as Gray returns the favour by not say anything to his step-brother and his new girl friend, Gray just continues walking.

It's only when Gray and Natsu are down the hall is when Natsu stops and realises something. "What about your brother?" Lyon hears Natsu's voice ask.

"What?" Gray asks back.

"Lyon?" Natsu says. "Isn't he coming too? Did you forget to ask him?"

"Oh, right, right." Gray replies, pushing the issue aside lightly. Because he _did_ forget about Lyon. Stars like him have no time for losers like Lyon. Gray turns and hollers, "Lyon, wanna come with?!"

Lyon feels his gut burn with fury. "Where?"

"To celebrate tonight's victory. We won, remember?"

Lyon grits his teeth. Meredy hears Lyon say under his breath, "I know, I was there."

"Huh?!" Gray asks loudly from the other side of the hall, cupping his ear. "What did you say? Speak up!"

"I'm – I'm not coming!" Lyon answers back. "I have stuff to do!"

"Okay," Gray shrugs before turning back to Natsu. "Let's go."

"Wait, hold up. Dude, didn't you ask Juvia to wait at your locker or something?" Natsu says, loud enough for everyone to hear, strangely the voice of reason tonight. "Jeez, Ice Brain, stop forgetting people! It's rude!"

Beside him, Lyon feels Meredy tighten up.

"I only said it so she'd quit following me." Gray tells Natsu.

"Dude," Natsu warns then hits Gray at the back of his scruffy head.

"That hurt, you dick!" Gray hisses, rubbing the spot he was bruised before saying, "Let's just go."

"Oh my God, you fucker, I swear!" Natsu sighs before turning to Lyon. The pinkette yells, "Lyon – Sorry but could you get Juvia for us?!"

"I –"

" _I_ 'll get her." Meredy speaks then marches away. Lyon catches her eyes glowing red.

* * *

"Do you hate him?" Lyon asks Meredy once he catches her giving his step-brother laser beams eyes for talking to Juvia openly from the other side of the hall.

"What?"

"Do you hate Gray?" Lyon rephrases, his fancy fountain pen making random designs on the top of his open palm. He's paranoid that if he's not holding it then he'll lose it. It's easily his prized possession but maybe Meredy will quickly take that position. "You always look at him like he's the nastiest thing on earth."

"Because he is." Meredy answers. "He's such an ass."

Ouch.

Meredy adds, "My best friend is literally in love with him and he's just – he's not even trying to push her away. He's just keeping Juvia on her toes, always baiting her then sending her off. It's cruel."

"Ah," Lyon replies. "I see your point. I'd hate Gray that way too if I were in your shoes."

"Don't you hate Gray already?" Meredy tilts her head and looks him straight in the eye.

He wants to laugh because she's spot on. Lyon tells her, "I do."

* * *

"Juvia?"

"Hm?"

"Juvia?"

"Hmm?" Juvia looks up from her note taking, blue ink has left makes on her hands.

"Juvia Lockser." Meredy says again.

Juvia asks, grinning, "Yes, Meredy-san?"

Meredy smiles. Just calling out Juvia's name makes her heart full. "Nothing."

* * *

"Why are you in such a sour mood?" Lyon asks after noticing mascara streaks trickling down her face. He offers her his handkerchief that she declines without even shaking her head. She just grunted really angrily.

"Juvia's not chasing after him anymore," Meredy answers.

"What? Who?"

"Gray finally accepted Juvia's heart."

"Oh,"

_Oh._

* * *

She's drowning in the hands of the person she loves.

* * *

Meredy tips her chin as she walks up Juvia's driveway. She can see Juvia dressed in pyjamas, lazily watering her flowers, a sunhat shielding her pretty blue head from the glaring sun.

"Juvia!" Meredy calls and waves.

Juvia turns, a sharp move. She's stunned. Juvia immediately starts shaking her head as if to say, _No. Stop. Go away._

Stopping in her tracks, Meredy stares blankly, she doesn't understand. When Juvia's expression changes and she strides closer to the pink haired girl, angry shaky steps all the way, Meredy sees it. Juvia's wearing make-up. A full face of make-up _at home_. But it's not done well. Juvia doesn't know how to blend her foundation right and Meredy can see Juvia's bruised eye.

"Juvia, what happened?" Meredy asks. She reaches over and tries to cup Juvia's face once the two girls are standing face to face. Meredy wants Juvia to stop moving, Meredy wants Juvia to show her how badly she's hurt and how Meredy can take the pain away.

But Juvia simply pushes Meredy's hands away. She doesn't like how Meredy's prying into her life. Juvia says, "Juvia told Meredy-san not to come today. Why did Meredy-san come?"

"What happened?"

"It's nothing." Juvia says quickly to reassure Meredy. "It's just – Gray-sama and Bora-san got into a fight on Friday night while we were on a date. Juvia tried to break them up but she accidentally got elbowed in the face. It was Juvia's fault, she shouldn't have jumped into the fight like that but she couldn't let Bora-san hurt Gray-sama."

From the way Juvia was speaking, Meredy knew what Juvia was saying was the truth but she couldn't help but still feel mad because it's been almost two days. Almost _two days_ since the fight happened.

Meredy's fuming. Did Juvia think she would have liked to be surprised like everyone else at school on Monday? They were _best friends_ , didn't that mean anything to Juvia anymore since she's gotten a boyfriend? Meredy has always always _always_ been by Juvia's side. Didn't that mean _something_?

"Which one of them did it?" Meredy asks with rage in her voice. "Which one of them elbowed you in the face?"

Juvia holds back from telling. "It was an accident."

"Which one, Juvia?" Meredy asks hotly.

"It was an accident." Juvia repeats.

Meredy instantly knows who Juvia's trying to protect. She has the mind to just go straight to Gray's house this instant. She knows where he lives. She's been to Lyon's house, she's had to unpleasant experience of passing by Gray's room each time.

But Juvia's hand catches Meredy to stop her. Juvia's thumb touches the inside of her wrist and, suddenly, Meredy is weak.

"Go home, Meredy." Juvia pleads, blue eyes sad.

There are no honorific attached to Meredy's name.

"Please. Just go home."

And she does.

* * *

"Why are you talking?" Meredy hisses, murder in her voice.

"Because I have a mouth." Gray mutters back, just as bitterly.

"Be quiet."

"No,"

"Shut your mouth."

Gray's eyebrow twitches with irritation. " _No_ , you shut up."

"Why don't you come over here and close it for me?" Meredy threatens.

Lyon hears Gray's and Meredy's voices arguing back and forth. Lyon moves towards them, smack dab in the middle between the two, practically walking right into them.

"Stop it." Lyon says.

They glare at each other before they drop it. Swallowing back the need to sigh, Lyon wonders how their strange square friendship will work out. It seems Meredy was telling the truth when she said she hated Gray. It's only a matter of time before Meredy's sharp tongue causes Gray to punch her.

* * *

"Meredy-san, Lyon-san!" Juvia Lockser comes bouncing up to the duo one day at their lockers.

Meredy turns and beams back at Juvia. "What are you all excited about, Ju?"

Lyon merely raises an eyebrow before Juvia launches into an explanation.

"Juvia was wondering if you guys would like to join her this Summer! Juvia's aunt has a little cabin somewhere up in Mount Hakobe and Juvia's aunt said Juvia could spend a week there skiing! She said Juvia could bring her friends!" Juvia's voice dips with excitement. "Juvia wants Meredy-san and Lyon-san to go with her! Please?! It'll be fun for sure and it'll beat the Summer heat! What do you say?!" Juvia asks but with the sparkle in Juvia's eyes, it was impossible to decline.

"Hell yes!" Meredy answers, raising a fist in the air.

Lyon doesn't even say 'no' because Meredy has already said 'yes' and he'll agree to go on any trip as long as Meredy's in it. "Sure,"

"Yay!" Juvia bounces with glee and wraps her arms around the both of them. Meredy happily accepts the hug, smelling a hint of chlorine in Juvia's hair. Then Juvia pulls back and says, "Juvia's going to invite Gray-sama now!"

Meredy pulls away but Juvia doesn't notice the sharpness of Meredy's action. Lyon feels forgotten.

Juvia says dreamily. "She hopes he accepts!"

"I'm sure he will." Lyon responses but immediately wants to take that back because Meredy glares her eyes at him.

"Really? That's great!" Juvia replies. "Gray-sama, Juvia's coming!" She exclaims before practically skipping down the hall to see her so-called Gray-sama.

...

"Gray-sama and Juvia will share a room while Meredy-san and Lyon-san share the other room." Juvia says while her hands are wrapped around one of Gray's arm, her eyes are practically in the shape of hearts.

Lyon stands there frozen with his eyes bugging out while Gray doesn't seem phased at all.

"What?" Meredy double-takes, her face is filled with five kinds of confusion and five kinds of bitterness. Because she thought it'd be the boys sharing a room and then her and Juvia sharing a room. But of course, _of course,_ Juvia prioritises Gray. She swears, if she hears moaning; she will barge into that room, kick her best friend's ass and break Gray's dick.

"Juvia and Gray-sama are spending the night together," Juvia says, swooning like even she can't believe it. "Isn't that great?"

Meredy feels a snarl rising up from the back of her throat.

"Oh!" Juvia gasps, not even taking into consideration the other three's silence. "Let's unpack, Gray-sama!"

Meredy only has time to make a face before Juvia drags Gray up to their room for the night. Lyon looks back and forth, not knowing what to do before Meredy tells him, "Don't say a word. Just shut up. Don't make angry."

Lyon can see Meredy's already angry so that threat was a fail. But he does as he's told and doesn't say a word. Lyon wonders and second-guesses why he has a crush on Meredy to begin with.

...

"Aren't you boiling?" Lyon asks the night they're both in bed.

"Yes. It feels like a sauna in here." Meredy agrees as she kicks off the blanket and attempts to cool herself off.

"Same," He says as he watches her fans her face. "I'm going to take off my shirt, okay?"

"What?" Meredy glares.

"I mean – It's really hot tonight and I usually sleep without a shirt." Lyon reasons then tells her, "I won't judge if you shed a few articles of clothing too."

Meredy scoofs.

"So … can I?" Lyon questions just to be safe.

"Whatever,"

"Thanks," Then Lyon sits up, grabs the back of his shirt and removes it in one swift motion before lying back down. "See?" Lyon says. "No big deal. Plus the lights are off so I can't see jack shit."

Meredy bites down an irritated snarl and squints at her cute pyjamas. It really was too hot to be cute. These pyjamas were too thick and the heater was too strong. Everything was too much. It wasn't the right temperature.

She sighs, "Fine,"

She finally surrenders then gets out of bed. Meredy swiftly takes off her pyjama bottoms before unbuttoning the top. He pretends his ears aren't red as he tries not to watch her circle around the bed before picking up his thin shirt and slipping it on.

"Did you just – Is that my shirt?" Lyon asks though it now sounds stupid because he just saw her put it on in the dimly lit room.

The bed creeks as she crawls back into bed.

"Yeah," Meredy says and Lyon thinks that's the hottest thing she's ever agreed to. After a while, Meredy asks, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," He says.

"I think I might like Juvia." She tells him. "No, I _know_ I like her. Romantically,"

Oh.

Meredy continues, "I'm tired of being the supportive best friend. I can't do it anymore. Not when I've been feelings this way for a while now and she's ignoring me seventy percent of the time."

_Oh._

"You think I should tell her?" She asks, turning to look at Lyon. It's a fruitless attempt, it's too dark.

_Oh my God._

"Should you?" Lyon asks back.

Meredy blinks at the ceiling before announcing, "You're right. I shouldn't."

Lyon doesn't say anything more because there isn't anything else to say. He's always been the quite one anyways. He rolls over because he doesn't want her to see his heart shattering. But then again, Meredy probably doesn't care about his heart anyways.

But despite everything, Lyon can still say he won't hesitate giving Meredy everything he has. She can take whatever she wants from him. His fountain pen, his time, his heart.

...

The morning after, Meredy shakes her bed head and immediately tries to untangle messy pink locks. Her shirt (no, his shirt) goes up as her fingers comb through her hair, Lyon sees her ribs and wonders. "Why don't you eat more?" He asks her like he has an obligation to.

"I eat," Meredy tells him. Or maybe more like snap. "Me and Ju are on the swim team, I need to eat so that I have the energy to do freestyle. I just don't eat to an extent."

"Ah," Lyon hums. "Why is that?"

He swears her whole face glows red. "Juvia doesn't like me back yet. But she likes my thigh gap and I want some part of me to be liked by her."

"Ah," He lies back down on the bed. He never should have gotten up.

* * *

"Wanna go on a date with me?" Meredy asks out of the blue after Juvia had run off to Gray's side or something.

Lyon buries his clenched hands deeper into his pockets. "Excuse me?"

"Me. You. A date. Or rather, several dates." Meredy replies, straight to the point. "Holding hands and shits,"

And when Lyon doesn't say anything, she frowns.

"You like me, right?" Meredy questions. "You don't hide your crushes well. It's pretty obvious. You say it all on your face. Your feelings are always open like a twenty-four-seven convenience store."

 _Twenty-four-seven? Always?_ He thinks _._

She questions him again, "So do you want to date or what?"

"Why?" Lyon finds himself asking.

"I just want to cope. I want something … someone to be with while Gray and Juvia are being a thing."

"But you don't like me. Don't you still like Juvia-chan?"

Meredy answers, glaring at him. Green eyes with red flakes in them. So pretty yet it was burning with jealousy and anger. She tells him, "Don't tell me who I can and can't like!"

Lyon closes his eyes. He guesses now he'll _really_ be a somebody to Meredy. Her boyfriend, wow. _Wow._

* * *

"Are you two together?" Juvia asks one day after her and Meredy's swimming practice is done.

Both girls still have wet hair and both are slightly shivering from the cold. The only difference is, Meredy's wearing Lyon's jacket to keep herself warm. Lyon thinks Juvia must have noticed Lyon constantly coming for their swimming practices, supplied with a thermos filled with hot tea and a towel just for Meredy. Gray's never come once to support Juvia, she still adores him though and goes to his games.

Meredy only tangles her cold hands with Lyon's before nodding at Juvia.

"Oh," Juvia says, her grin growing wide. It's been a month since Meredy and Lyon had started 'dating'. She tells them, "That's sweet."

Lyon hides his true feelings behind a false smile. Fuck. _Fuck_ , this is _not_ what he wants. This is _not_ what Meredy wants either.

"We should double date some time," Juvia says, all smiles.

"No thanks." Meredy tells Juvia and the blue hair girl's smile wobbles.

"A – Ah, I see. Maybe Juvia was pushing it." Juvia tells them. "She understands."

But Lyon doesn't think Juvia does.

* * *

"What's this?" Meredy asks when Lyon confronts her at her locker with a small gift box in his hand.

"Anniversary gift," Lyon replies and pushes the blue box into her hand.

"It's only been a month."

"So?"

Meredy can't help but let her lips quirk into an amused grin. She opens the box, it's a pair of glittering dangly earrings. The type that she would like – scratch that, the type that she _does_ like. She likes it, _a lot._

"Thank you," She says to him, making him smile.

Lyon thinks, maybe he's not such a bad boyfriend after all?

"How do I look?" Meredy asks, not particularly interested in the answer after putting them on.

"Pretty," He tells her.

She laughs aloud at this, the action of her throwing her head back makes her long earrings sway.

* * *

Meredy's frustrated scream is the first thing Lyon recognises in the sea of students. He knows her long enough to take a hint that it's an unpleasant expression. Something snaps within him and the next thing Lyon knew, he was racing and pushing people out of the way to get to wherever she was.

"Get off me!" Meredy screams and Lyon feels his heart drop.

When he finally gets there – _finally_ gets to her. He sees what the fuss is all about. Meredy and Gray are on the ground. Meredy palming Gray's face away from her while Gray seemed to have a wild look in his eyes. Lyon understands what's happening.

It's a fight.

Meredy must have said something with that sharp tongue of hers, something to set off Gray's temper. They both look angry as they're brawling on the ground. Kids around them are having mixed emotions, they don't know if they should break it up or chant 'Fight, fight, fight!'

"You started it!" Gray yells like an immature twelve year old caught red-handed.

"You're so full of fucking shit!" Meredy snaps. The next line seemed to have triggered everything. "You don't deserve Juvia!"

In his midst of rage, Gray blindly grabs something that can be used against her. Something to hurt her. Hurt her _easily_. In this case, it was her long hair. He grabs a fistful and pulls – hard.

Then she's screaming. Meredy's screaming and it sends chill down everyone's spine because that's _not_ a normal a scream. That's a type of scream you heard in a torture chamber of sorts.

Gray only realises the damage he's done when she cries. It tells him he gave her far more pain than he intended to. Gray freezes then looks down towards his hand. Something was poking his closed fist. When Gray opens his palm, he sees stands of pink hair and a sparkly dangly earring. He had ripped it clean off, he had ripped her earring off and tore flesh, she was bleeding everywhere.

"Shit," He curses. "I'm so –"

Lyon races forward, pushing his step-brother out of the way because – shit. SHIT, this was crazy and he can't believe he hadn't moved earlier. Why didn't he stop this? Why didn't he move? What was wrong with everybody?

Gray hits the tiled floor and Meredy immediately reaches her arms out as if to ask Lyon for help, like a child wanting to be cradled and taken to safety.

"Meredy-san? Gray-sama?" Juvia's voice rises above it all. "What's going on?" But when her blue eyes take in the scene of the blood dripping down Meredy's shirt, Lyon helping her and Gray looking shameless, she pieces things together.

For a fleeting second, Lyon wants to hold his breath and be magically transported somewhere else because this is the moment that Juvia Lockser has to choose between her best friend and her boyfriend.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia says with an anger most of the student body has never heard her express. "Gray-sama, how could you hurt Meredy-san?!" She thunders and everyone shrinks away as if they felt shame for letting the fight happened.

"Juvia!" Gray says her name like it would solve things. "I didn't mean to!" Gray defends himself, rising from the ground.

"We're – Juvia doesn't want anything to do with Gray-sama anymore. Go! Leave!" Juvia declares.

Lyon tries his best to soak up the blood from Meredy's ear. She's crying hard and Lyon suddenly remembers that Meredy can be vulnerable too. He's so used to her tough act that he forgets sometimes.

This was horrible. This was a horrible day.

* * *

 **Sorry. I have to cancel our movie night.** Meredy's text reads.

 **You're leaving me alone to watch 'It'? What if the clown gets me? I'm too young to die!** Lyon texts back, as dramatic as ever.

 **Something came up.** Is all she replies, three minutes late.

Lyon sends her a message not even a second later, a little annoyed. **And that something is ? ? ?**

He has to wait another fifteen minutes before Meredy tells him what it is. Her message says, **Gray and Juvia officially broke up. Juvia's here with me now, crying all over my shirt. I hate this so much.**

Lyon doesn't even reply. He leaves Meredy on read before he marches to Gray's room where he's playing DOTA with Natsu. Lyon's furious because Gray had just hurt Juvia which hurt Meredy which is now hurting him. It's a clusterfuck of chained hurt.

Lyon yells, upset, "You're an ass!"

"I didn't even do anything! What the fuck?!" Gray yells back, eyes not even leaving his screen. He's not even bothered that he's been suspended for the fight with Meredy.

Natsu tries to sink into his hoodie and pretends he's not in a middle of an argument he didn't ask to be in.

"Yes, you did!" Lyon tells Gray, not even explaining before slamming the door closed.

"What the hell was that?!" Natsu's voice exclaims, loud enough for Lyon to hear through the door.

"I don't know." Gray answers. "And I don't care."

 _Unbelievably_. Gray truly was an ass.

* * *

"I don't need you anymore," Meredy says one day over the phone and Lyon doesn't know how to feel because, hey, at least he didn't get rudely dumped via text message.

Ah, he's a nobody again. How boring.

"You told Juvia-chan?" Lyon asks though he knows it's the reason why Meredy is calling him. Hmm, it was a good two months while it lasted.

"Yeah," Meredy replies though she sounds breathless then repeats, "... Yeah, I told her."

"What did she say?"

Meredy doesn't even pause to answer and Lyon thinks it's because Juvia didn't pause when giving Meredy an answer either. "Juvia told me she's still in love with him. She's still in love with that prick, Gray."

Despite everything that's happened, in the end, Juvia choose Gray over Meredy. It looks like the position to Juvia Lockser's heart is closed forever.

Lyon feels himself close his eyes, trying to squeeze out the pain. Second-hand feelings are just as bad.

Meredy adds, "That sounds just like her, don't you think? Juvia just chases and chases and chases after him and Gray just runs and runs and runs."

"I thought he had stopped after he finally accepted her feelings," Lyon admits. A part of him doesn't mind that he's talking smack about his step-brother that's two doors down the hallway.

"Oh please," Meredy said with bitterness laced in her voice. "He never stopped running."

* * *

**end**

**Author's Note:**

> I started with Lyon then it slowly turned to Meredy (?) I don't really have an explanation to this? I swear I have the most potential when I write things no one asked for.
> 
> And I still have so much gay angst feels. It's ridiculous! Also, I realise that this story is very Hyouka-y. Like I'm referring to Lyon as having a grey life while a pink hair girl literally walks into his life. Yooo!
> 
> The mountain vacation area was the place where Natsu had to go to in episode 2 of Season 1. The one where he had to find Macao as a monkey.
> 
> – 23 November 2017


End file.
